President Biden's recent remark that Second Amendment advocates would "need an F-16" to challenge the government has drawn sharp criticism from Republican members of Congress. During a California campaign event, Biden stated that the Second Amendment doesn't grant the right to own any weapon, citing cannons and machine guns as examples of restricted firearms. He then added that those who believe in resisting the government with force would require more than an AR-15, suggesting an F-16 fighter jet.

Several Republican lawmakers expressed concerns about Biden's statement. Representative Andy Barr questioned Biden's self-proclaimed support for the Second Amendment, citing the president's history of advocating for gun control. Representative Ron Estes criticized Biden for misrepresenting the Constitution and drawing a comparison between self-defense firearms and F-16s. He emphasized the Founding Fathers' intention to protect the right to bear arms for self-preservation and independence.

Other representatives questioned Biden's cognitive abilities. Representative Tim Burchett expressed worry about Biden's mental acuity and questioned which constitutional amendment might be targeted next. Representative John Duarte made light of Biden's recent gaffe involving the late Queen Elizabeth II.

In the same speech, Biden suggested that AR-15s are popular among gun manufacturers because they are inexpensive to produce and yield high profit margins. He recently reiterated his call for a federal ban on "assault weapons" and high-capacity magazines, similar to the 1994 ban he supported.